WILL NEW MEXICO GET PASSED UP LIKE LAST TIME? IT'S A CONCERN FOR SOME, AS TESLA HAS YET TO DECIDE WHERE TO BUILD ITS CAR BATTERY FACTORY. KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER MEGAN CRUZ JOINS US NOW WITH WHAT HAPPENED WITH TESLA BACK IN 2007. THESE TALKS TO GET TESLA TO BUILD A FACTORY HERE IN NEW MEXICO SEEM LIKE DEJA-VU FOR SOME PEOPLE. BUT A PERSON WHO WAS CENTRAL IN THE NEGOTIATIONS LAST TIME SAYS, WE'RE IN A BETTER BARGAINING POSITION NOW. We expect thousands of jobs to be here in NM. FEBRUARY 2007... TESLA C-E-O ELON MUSK HAS ANNOUNCED THE COMPANY WILL BUILD ITS CAR MANUFACTURING PLANT IN ALBUQUERQUE. CONSTRUCTION WAS SUPPOSE TO START LATER THAT YEAR... UNTIL CALIFORNIA STEPPED IN WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF INCENTIVES. And obviously it enticed them to bring their initial manufacturing there. WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF? IT'S A CONCERN FOR SOME AS TESLA DECIDES WHERE TO BUILD ITS GIGAFACTORY, WHICH WILL BE THE WORLD'S LARGEST LITHIUM BATTERY FACTORY. THE COMPANY SAYS IT'S EYE-ING NEW MEXICO, NEVADA, ARIZONA, OR TEXAS. FRED MONDRAGON WAS THE STATE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY BACK IN 2007. The company was in a different situation. It was pretty much a startup, so they were grabbing for any penny they could get a hold of. TESLA IS NOW WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. MANDRAGON SAYS THIS TIME AROUND... He's not just going to look for the immediate cash available but also for exciting things that are happening in the state. HE SAYS NEW MEXICO HAS MORE TO OFFER NOW THAN IT DID BEFORE, LIKE THE WORK GOING ON AT THE LOS ALAMOS AND SANDIA LABS, AS WELL AS U-N-M. In particular battery technology, fuel cell technology, and other things I'm sure Elon is already thinking about. MONDRAGON SAYS MUSK IS ALSO THINKING ABOUT HIS OTHER COMPANY HERE IN THE STATE. SPACE X IS CURRENTLY TESTING TECHNOLOGY OVER AT SPACEPORT AMERICA. SO THE ADVICE MONDRAGON HAS FOR LEADERS NOW... EMPHASIZE THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY HERE IN NEW MEXICO. HE ALSO JOKED THAT MAYBE GUILT FROM THE LAST TIME AROUND WILL WORK TO OUR ADVANTAGE. COMING UP AT 6, WE SPEAK TO ANOTHER EXPERT, WHO SIZES UP WHAT EACH STATE HAS TO OFFER; AND WHERE NEW MEXICO STANDS IN THIS RACE FOR THE BATTERY